festival

I took a little break from this column last week because in my other life – the one not spent glued to the tube – I help run a 5-day film festival in the smallish Canadian city where I live. Running a film festival is not unlike running film – there are actors, directors and producers on hand, a general sense of panic, long hours, and really good after-parties, and with luck a critically-praised result.

This was my first year working on the film fest and I expected to be way out of my depth when it came to conversation. After all, I'm a small screen kind of girl. I even slipped up while introducing a panel of filmmakers, talking about how their films had "aired" the night before. Apparently, films screen, only TV shows air.

If you love yourself some Simpsons and you're going to be in Los Angeles on March 15, be sure to get tickets to the William S. Paley Television Festival where James L. Brooks, Al Jean and Matt Groening will appear with some of the voice actors to talk about the 400th episode of the series and also screen a sneak preview of The Simpsons Movie.

The festival runs from March1 to 15 and will also feature tributes to American Idol, Heroes, The Office, Prison Break, Jericho, Ugly Betty, Brothers & Sisters, The Closer, Dexter and Nip/Tuck. This is the first time in twenty-four years that the festival has been dedicated solely to series that are still on the air. It's named after William S. Paley, founder of both the Museum of Television and Radio and CBS.